Declare the month of July as NASA History Month

Who am I? My name is Jevon, I am 9 years old, and I have always wanted to be an astronaut. Now that NASA's Space Shuttle program is over, I worry that people will eventually start to forget all about NASA and everything the agency accomplished in space exploration and research. In July 2011 I was fortunate enough to see the successful launch and landing of Atlantis, but kids in the future will not be this lucky because that was NASA's final shuttle flight.

Why set aside a month? Having a NASA History Month could encourage students to consider a career in aeronautics and related fields like robotics, satellite technology or aerospace engineering. Also, it would give children a chance to learn about all the innovations that NASA helped spark and to develop an interest in making their own ground-breaking discoveries. Finally, an organization like NASA that is responsible for helping us better understand the mysteries of our universe at least deserves a month of recognition.

Why July? July is the best month to celebrate NASA History Month for three reasons. First, the final Space Shuttle mission took place in the month of July (Atlantis launched on July 8, 2011 and landed on July 21, 2011). Second, NASA was established in the month of July (on July 29, 1958 by the National Aeronautics and Space Act). Last, July is not already crowded with too many other special months (according to Wikipedia's list of commemorative months).

Please help me spread the message that NASA History Month should become a reality.

UPDATE Aug 9, 2012: As many supporters have commented, there is a fourth reason for NHM to be in July. The first men walked on the moon's surface on July 21, 1969 (Apollo 11 - Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin).

Letter to

President Obama

I signed Jevon's Change.org petition to voice my support for declaring the month of July as NASA History Month. All of the agency's accomplishments should never be forgotten and I agree that there should be a special month set aside to honor all the achievements NASA has made in space research and exploration.

Let's ensure that future generations will always remember the countless contributions made by NASA. Now is the time to make this happen!